In a landmark decision yesterday, a U.S. District Court judge sided with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit brought by the City of Santa Monica over the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport.

U.S. District Judge John F. Walter on Feb. 13 granted a motion from the Department of Justice and FAA to dismiss the city of Santa Monica’s lawsuit to release it from its obligation to operate Santa Monica Municipal Airport as an airport. But AOPA cautions that the fight to save the airport is far from over.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today jointly filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in support of a Federal Aviation Administration motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit over the future of Santa Monica, Calif., Municipal Airport.

AOPA responded to the SD Holdings patent infringement lawsuit against FlyQ Web on Oct. 7, requesting dismissal due to the fact there is no basis for SDH’s patent infringement allegations against AOPA’s online aviation flight planning tool that is available to members free of charge.

A U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruling has freed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from having to make an accelerated endangerment finding on emissions from general aviation aircraft.